


Gathering Revelation

by wavewisp



Series: One-off Warriors AUs [3]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Canon Divergent, Gen, brambleclaw knows abt the situation in this au, mothwing is trans. we love her., not sure if its gonna be a rewrite scene yet but we will seeeeeee, well it's more compliant than my other stuff. but ya know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 11:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19927387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wavewisp/pseuds/wavewisp
Summary: Hollyleaf finds out her existence is way worse - at least, according to the warrior code - than she ever thought.





	Gathering Revelation

The full moon trickled pale rays of light upon the clearing. Scores of cats littered the area, grouped around an ancient, massive tree where four cats perched. The area was filled with chatter, idle gossip as the Gathering’s beginning drew nearer.  
  
In a few minutes, a confident yowl sounded and filled the clearing. “The Gathering has begun!” The cats immediately hushed. The voice sounded again, “RiverClan will report first.”  
The original cat quieted down, and a new, raspy voice took its place. “Thank you, Blackstar. RiverClan is faring well. The fish are plentiful and the waters are calm. However-” The rosetted molly paused and looked directly at a large ginger tom also on the tree, “My warriors have been claiming to scent ThunderClan on our territory. I’d advise you to keep your cats in your territory, Firestar.” 

Protesting meows rang out from the ThunderClan cats below. A sneer, barely audible, came from a black WindClan cat.  
“Typical ThunderClan. They don’t even share a border with RiverClan and they still find a way to trespass!” Another WindClan tom whipped around at the smart remark, teeth bared. “Keep your mouth shut, Breezepelt.” Breezepelt glared at the second cat in silence for a moment, then rolled his eyes and remained silent as the ThunderClan yowls died down.

Firestar let out a sigh, though he still looked composed and unaffected by the accusation. “Leopardstar, Leafpool traveled to your territory to harvest water mint for our herb stores. Your medicine cat had offered the help during a half-moon meeting. I understand if your warriors didn’t know that, but medicine cats are allowed to cross Clan borders.”  
Leopardstar blinked in response. “Ah, that’s right. My apologies, Firestar. Still, I would appreciate if _medicine cats_ would tell their leaders of another medicine cat’s arrival.”  
The Gathering grew eerily silent as the RiverClan leader’s amber gaze sought out the RiverClan medicine cat, Mothwing. The cream-point molly leaned down and seemed to try to sink into her fur as every other cat’s attention was drawn to her as well.  
“That is all from RiverClan. Carry on.”  
As the announcements carried on into WindClan and ShadowClan, attention was drawn back away from Mothwing. Her apprentice, Willowshine, gave her a reassuring lick behind the ear as the two began to quietly chatter.

Blackstar finished his report for ShadowClan, nodding to Firestar. Firestar dipped his head in response and stood up to give his report for ThunderClan.

As this was happening, a black molly in the crowd rose to her paws.  
“Hollyleaf, where are you going?” Her neighbor, a massive cream tabby, whispered intently. She offered no response, instead advancing towards the announcement tree. “Hollyleaf!”  
A few tails were trodden on and a few cats were nudged as Hollyleaf continued on her mission, resulting in offended but quiet hisses and more inquiry as to where she was going. Still not a word from the molly.

“Prey is running well in ThunderClan, and I am proud to announce that our medicine cat apprentice, Jayfeather, has received his full name!”  
Before the crowd could erupt into cheers to celebrate the medicine cat’s new name, the black cat at the trunk of the tree called out. “Excuse me, Firestar, but can I announce something? It’s important.”  
The Gathering was filled with confused murmuring. The ShadowClan deputy, Rowanclaw, retorted back. “Does ThunderClan accept interrupting a leader like that?” Firestar disregarded the remark, instead calling back down to Hollyleaf. “Are you sure this is an all-Clans matter? Can this wait until we’re back in camp?”  
Hollyleaf bit her tongue, suddenly aware that perhaps carrying out her plan at a Gathering was a bit… much? Before she could rethink anything, however, Onestar called out. “No, I want to hear what she has to say. It must be extremely important if she’s interrupting a Gathering for it.” Leopardstar and Blackstar chided in, making similar remarks. Firestar lashed his tail in... _annoyance? Firestar? I must be imagining that._ “Alright, Hollyleaf, come to make your announcement.”

Hollyleaf nodded and sprung onto the trunk of the Great Tree. She quickly clambered up, taking a perch in between Firestar and Leopardstar. She gazed down upon the cats, a kitlike awe filling her heart. _Why do I have to be here because of this, not because I’d become leader?_  
A pointed clearing of the throat from Onestar tore Hollyleaf out of her own head, and she gulped down as if to force down any remaining doubt about what she was going to do. This was an injustice to the warrior code. _Even if it hurts me, I need to right this wrong._

She raised her voice into a yowl. “As you all know, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and I are littermates.” There was no pause in her speech, but as she watched over the cats, she recognized her brothers in the crowd and the dawning expressions of horror on their faces and in their body language as she continued. “The offspring of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. I’m here to announce that idea is a lie!”  
Hollyleaf could sense the tension in the air- it hung heavy over her head like a dam; like Hell was going to break loose at any second. “We are not the kits of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight! Leafpool is our mother!”

Immediately, the tension broke and the Gathering was filled with confused yowling. The crowd broke around Leafpool, who was now out in the open and on the attention of absolutely everyone. Her ears were flush to her head and her eyes were open so wide that whites showed all around her irises. The ThunderClan medicine cat was completely shocked, that was clear. She’d not seen this coming in a lifetime.  
Another scour of the area showed that Jayfeather had his head dipped to the ground, his expression unable to be seen. Lionblaze slunk amongst the chaos to sit beside his brother. Leopardstar was trying in vain to be heard above the clamor, attempting to calm the cats. Blackstar and Onestar looked at each other in silence, at Hollyleaf, and then at Firestar. Firestar himself looked taken off guard, his tail bushed out but dropped below the tree.

Hollyleaf felt a sudden sinking feeling in her chest but continued anyway. “Thank you, Firestar.” Quickly, she leaped and scrambled down the tree as quickly as she could. Cats scrambled around her, but none opted to actually speak to her. Inflammatory yowls rang out across the island. “Of course the ThunderClan medicine cat would break the Code!” “Punish her!” “She’s Firestar’s kit, she’ll get away with it.”

Leafpool’s jaw dropped as she frantically scoured the Gathering. She was still absolutely mortified, but she stood straight on her paws, making no attempt to shrink into her own pelt.  
Amid the chaos, Squirrelflight broke from the crowd, running to her sister and brushing her head beside Leafpool’s in an attempt to comfort the molly. As the surrounding cats grew increasingly volatile, an infuriated yowl rang out. “SILENCE!”

An eerie calm befell the area. Blackstar had let out the call and then motioned for Firestar to speak. His meow was oddly composed. “Leafpool, do you have anything to say to this?”  
Squirrelflight padded a few pawsteps away from Leafpool, so as not to obstruct her. She stood about a fox-length away and was soon joined by Brambleclaw- who simply sat by Squirrelflight’s side. Leafpool took a deep breath and raised her head above the crowd to look directly into her father’s emerald eyes. “No, Firestar. Hollyleaf is completely correct in her accusation. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf are my kits.”

That horrible sinking feeling in Hollyleaf’s chest only filled her whole body with those words. It was confirmed- her entire existence was an infraction of the Codes that governed Clan life. She felt sick and her head felt red-hot with anger, but she still advanced forward, to confront her biological mother head-on. The other cats stepped aside to make a path for her this time.  
Breaching into the clearing and feeling countless stares on her, Hollyleaf spoke once again. “Leafpool. Who is our father?”

Amber eyes, seen for the first time as glossy with tears were finally laid upon Hollyleaf. “I can’t tell you that.” Anger raged through Hollyleaf now, searing in her heart. She advanced further, claws unsheathing and teeth bared. Leafpool did not flinch at this hostility. Squirrelflight watched Hollyleaf intently, tail lashing in anxiety. _My mother doesn’t trust me._ A tinge of guilt nagged at the corner of her mind but she forced it away.  
The next words out of her mouth exited in a snarl. “You owe my brothers and I this. Tell us, now.”

Unexpectedly, a flash of cream-and-white appeared before Hollyleaf, stopping her in her tracks. Letting out a hiss of surprise, she jumped back to look the newcomer in the face- and was even more taken aback by who she saw. _Mothwing._  
The massive cream-point molly stood between Hollyleaf and Leafpool, though she showed no sign of hostility. She stared down at Hollyleaf, and Hollyleaf saw sympathy in the medicine cat’s eyes. It made her feel even sicker. “You’re right, Hollyleaf. You deserve to know who your other parent is.” Hollyleaf stepped back. “That would be me.”

Once again, the area burst into chaos. Hollyleaf felt like her veins were now filled with ice. She was the child of not one, but two medicine cats. From different Clans. _This isn’t real. There’s no way this is real._ She could feel all of her fur standing up on end as her face contorted into an expression of dread. In a burst of energy, Hollyleaf sprung from her defensive stance and burst past Leafpool and Mothwing; turning tail for the downed log that allowed as passage to the Gathering island.

She ran past the crowd and had almost reached the log before a voice called out that stopped her in her tracks. She paused, panting heavily as she turned her head towards the source of the call. Cinderheart ran to catch up to Hollyleaf, her face carrying a worried expression. “Holly, wait!”  
The grey molly stood beside Hollyleaf. “Look at all of this chaos. Why did you do this?” Hollyleaf spoke not a word in response. She stared at Cinderheart with wide eyes that were, for the first time this night, filling with tears. “It all would have been okay if you didn’t.”  
Hot tears slid down Hollyleaf’s cheeks and down her chin. A lump rose in her throat as she choked out a retort. “You don’t understand.” She broke eye contact. “It was for the Code.” She shook her head and sprung into action; she broke into a sprint and leaped upon the tree bridge. Mind racing, she dashed back toward ThunderClan territory.


End file.
